DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its Dick Howser Trophy National Players of the Week presented by The Game Headwear for the period ending May 5. Oklahoma State sophomore outfielder/first baseman Nolan Schubart and Arizona State redshirt sophomore outfielder Nick McLain were named National Co-Hitters of the Week, while Nebraska junior left-handed pitcher Jackson Brockett was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.
Schubart had a record-setting week as he hit .529 (9-for-17) with five home runs, three doubles and 10 RBI in four games. He also scored six runs, walked twice and had a 1.588 slugging percentage. In a midweek win against Wichita State, the Durand, Michigan, native set an OSU single-game record with four home runs. He also tied the Big 12 record as just the second player in conference history to homer four times in a game since Texas’ Jacob Priday in 2008.
Prior to Schubart's record-setting effort, OSU had 18 three-homer games in program history by 14 different Cowboys. He also became the fourth OSU player to hit three or more homers in a game multiple times. Schubart also set Big 12 and program records with 18 total bases against WSU. The sophomore went 5-for-5 with a season-high seven RBI in the game against the Shockers. The five hits marked a career high.
In his historic performance, Schubart drove in two runs with a double in his first at-bat in the first inning, then smashed a solo homer later in the opening frame. He delivered another solo shot in the third and a two-run blast in the fifth before setting the record by going deep in the sixth with another solo bomb. In the weekend series at Texas, Schubart went 4-for-12 (.333) with a home run, two doubles and three RBI.
McLain hit .591 on 13-of-22 at bats, scoring 14 runs to go along with 13 RBI. After a relatively slow start to the season, in which he had four home runs, the redshirt sophomore went yard in all five games this week including a grand slam in extra innings to win the series opener vs. Washington on Friday night.
McLain had an outstanding five-game stretch, leading Arizona State to a 4-1 record for the week and a series victory over Washington and a midweek sweep over UC San Diego, going 13-for-22 (.591) with five home runs, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored. He boasted a 1.364 slugging percentage, adding two doubles to the five homers and striking out only once. The Tustin, California, native reached base at a .654 clip, and went 5-for-5 against Washington in the win on Sunday afternoon. The outfielder did his part on defense as well, going nine-for-nine on putouts throughout the week.
Brockett tossed the sixth individual no-hitter in program history and the first nine-inning no-hitter since 1954 in Nebraska’s 8-0 win over Kansas State last week. In his first start of the season, Brockett posted a career-high 12 strikeouts on 107 pitches, which are the most punchouts by a Husker pitcher this season. The Omaha, Nebraska, native issued two walks and had one K-State hitter reach on an error while facing two batters over the nine-inning minimum.
It marked Nebraska’s first individual no-hitter since 1981, when Anthony Kelley didn’t allow a hit over seven innings against Oklahoma. It was just the second-ever nine-inning individual no-hitter, joining Richard Geier’s no-hitter in 1954 vs. Kansas.
This marks the ninth consecutive year that the NCBWA has honored a hitter and pitcher of the month. Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official Web site, www.ncbwa.com.